THE COYOTE OR PRAIRIE WOLF. 



{Cants latrans.) 



"As mean as a Coyote" is a frequent 

 expression of sentiment which may be 

 heard in the vicinity of the Coyote's 

 realm. It is a common saying of the 

 frontiersman, and to him it means much 

 for he despises this animal not alone be- 

 cause of its wholesale destruction of 

 game birds, game mammals and domestic 

 fowls and quadrupeds, but more, per- 

 haps, because of its cowardly character 

 and its propensity for howling. The ex- 

 pression "As mean as a barking dog" 

 might be used, for that is the meaning of 

 the Spanish word Coyote. A barking 

 dog never bites unless it has all the ad- 

 vantage on its side. Such is the nature 

 of the Coyote. "It carries its tail low — 

 humbly — as befits a cowardly animal/' 

 It is bold only when in search of food 

 and when it has a safe avenue of retreat 

 behind it. 



The Coyote combines many of the 

 characteristics of the wolf and of the 

 fox. It has the body, tail and limbs of 

 the wolf, and the pointed snout of the 

 fox tribe. In its nature and habits may 

 be seen the swiftness of foot, the keen 

 vision, the cunning, the shyness and the 

 greed of both the wolf and the fox. The 

 Coyote always seems unhappy. In 

 "American Animals," Mr. Witmer Stone 

 says: "Being active, healthy brutes, they 

 undoubtedly enjoy their wild, unrestrict- 

 ed life of action and adventure, and are 

 happy in their own way, except when 

 suffering from unusually hard luck at 

 hunting. Yet somehow they always look 

 distressed and miserable, and their whin- 

 ing howl at night seems to express all 

 the hopeless despair of some wretched 

 spirit of the blind Viewless wind' that 

 whirls away before a storm 'seeking for 

 something lost, it cannot find.' " 



The Coyote is an animal of the night. 

 Except in winter when its prey is scarce 

 and hunting is more laborious, it seeks 



its prey at night and usually hunts in 

 packs. The pack, however, makes itself 

 known for the Coyotes incessantly utter 

 a "dog-like yelping, half howl and half 

 bark" as they run, and the noise con- 

 tinues until the dawn of morning. Mr. 

 William T. Hornaday has said : "As far 

 as they can be heard, these wolves can 

 be distinguished by their cries, and to 

 those who have camped on the plains, or 

 in "the wild and weird 'bad-lands' of the 

 great West, the high-pitched, staccato 

 cry of the Coyote as he announces the 

 coming dawn, is associated with memo- 

 ries of vast stretches of open country, 

 magnificent distances, fragrant sage- 

 bush and freedom." 



The Coyotes live in burrows on the 

 plains, which they have excavated for 

 themselves, in washouts, in holes cut in 

 the banks of streams, or in the burrows 

 made by prairie dogs and other animals. 

 They feed upon jack rabbits, prairie dog% 

 mice and other rodents, sage hens, deer 

 and prong-horned antelopes. From the 

 ranchmen, they occasionally take pigs, 

 sheep, lambs and poultry. One thing 

 may be said to their credit ; they kill large 

 numbers of the troublesome rodents, and 

 also many rattlesnakes and other reptiles. 



The peculiar cunning which these ani- 

 mals appear to show at times, seems 

 almost beyond comprehension. Mr. Horn- 

 aday says : "The delicacy of the Coyote's 

 judgment in keeping always beyond fair 

 gun-shot is truly wonderful. If he is 

 not a mind-reader, his actions belie him. 

 Twice in Montana, each time for two 

 weeks, have I tried my utmost to shoot a 

 Coyote; but during those periods not 

 one would offer more than a running 

 shot at three hundred yards or more. 

 Twice, however, — and immediately after 

 the above, — when riding quite unarmed, 

 have Coyotes sat down beside the trail, 

 waited for me to aproach within forty 



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